Reclaim

Reclaim

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

AS CHILDREN we did not celebrate Halloween in our home. We would typically attend a fall-themed event at our church. I never felt like I was missing out on much, because we still got lots of candy and played games in the basement of the church while sipping hot apple cider, surrounded by our church family.

As parents, we wondered what we should do with our own kids on Halloween. At the same time, we were reading books about living among people and what it looks like to engage in culture in a way that shines a light. Our pastor asked us, “Is Halloween redeemable for the Kingdom?”

We believed that it was and began to pray about how we could reclaim the holiday. We decided to bring our firepit out to our driveway, bought full-size candy bars to pass out, and made hot chocolate for chilly hands walking through our neighborhood. We allowed our kids to dress up in costumes that were fun and never scary, and we went around, greeting neighbors and inviting others to warm themselves by our fire. It was just another way for us to get to know and build relationships with those around us, and it has become a favorite tradition in our home.

As Christians, we can discern and decide what from our culture should get reclaimed and what needs to be let go of. For us, we found Halloween to be a great way for us to connect with those around us, and we’ll take any opportunity to build relationships with the people in our neighborhood. We get to shine the light of Jesus on what can be a particularly dark night. We need to remember that we are the light on the hill and that when we shine, others will be drawn into God’s love.

Lord, help us to be wise as we engage our culture. Give us discernment to know what can be reclaimed for your glory. May we each be a light to the world, so that others will know your love. Amen.

-Kendra

One Good Step: What is something in our culture that you can reclaim, and how can you use it to be a light to those around you?